Meet the Authors

As National Manager of our Wealth division, Adrian is responsible for Beyond Bank Australia’s growing Financial Planning/Wealth Management service.
Based in Adelaide, Adrian oversees a national team that is focused on offering customers the best available products and services tailored to meet individual needs, with the best interest of the clients at the forefront.
Adrian has specialised in wealth management for more than twenty years and over his career, has held several senior management roles with BT/Westpac, AMP and St.George.
With qualifications in Financial Planning and Management and further study for a Masters in Business Administration, Adrian offers strong leadership to the team, a strategic perspective and an outstanding combination of experience and expertise.
Away from work, Adrian is a keen family man first, marathon runner and triathlete but readily admits that there is a strong emphasis on the 'tri' component.

Andrew Woodrow is an integral member of our Wealth Management and Financial Planning team.
With a Bachelor of Economics and a Diploma of Financial Planning, Andrew has worked in the finance and banking industry since 1993.
In 2016, with almost 25 years experience in the sector and more than a decade as a Financial Planner, Andrew has become a trusted adviser and friend to hundreds of clients.
HIs blend of expertise and enthusiasm means he is exceptionally well placed to provide advice across all areas of wealth management with a particular focus on retirement planning, wealth creation, superannuation and redundancy planning.
Importantly, Andrew is also able to offer specialised support around Government Superannuation Schemes.

Anna Baric is Beyond Bank's Area Business Development Manager within Metropolitan SA, focusing on developing reciprocal relationships with business and the community to encourage and nurture mutual benefits. She leads a highly experienced mobile lending team and has over 25 years experience in the finance industry. Anna also has a successful background in the real estate industry. Her passion is to help people achieve their dreams and will do her utmost to make that happen. Away from work, Anna enjoys spending time with her family, keeping fit and being actively involved in her community.

Ben has been with Beyond Bank for over 4 years and in early 2016 joined the Product and Transactional Banking Department. He is a qualified financial planner and is the subject matter expert to the business for Products such as Credit Cards and the Beyond Super Product. Ben has almost 7 years’ experience within the customer owned banking industry. In 2013 Ben was selected to represent Beyond Bank as a Credit Union Christmas Pageant Pageant Prince.

Bessie Hassan is the Consumer Advocate at finder.com.au, one of the biggest comparison networks in Australia. A former journalist, Bessie is passionate about helping Australians save money and find better deals.

At Beyond Bank Australia, we’re the other way to bank.
What do we mean by that? It’s simple. We’re a mutual bank which is 100% owned by its customers; we believe in prosperity for the many, not just the few. This idea has always guided what we do, we believe in fairness - not greed. We use profits to benefit our customers and their communities. By putting the interests of our customers first, we’re able to offer benefits and rewards, such as lower lending rates, higher investment rates, lower fees and charges and community support.

Brad has been a part of the Banking and Financial services industry since 2005 and is a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA). Brad applies his expertise to build strong relationships and offer personalised advice, ensuring his clients achieve their goals.

Brett Williamson, OAM, began as Chief Executive Officer of Volunteering Australia (VA) in October 2013. Prior to that, he was CEO of Surf Life Saving Australia for 6 years.
As VA’s Chief Executive Officer, Brett is primarily responsible for ensuring the effective development, management and sustainability of the organisation and its vital services and outputs.

Bridie is a geek who loves punk music, learning, studying, cooking, reading and volunteering. She works as part of a team filled with fantastic innovators and user experience professionals in the Digital Customer Experience department. Her role as Systems and Process Analyst focuses on the successful implementation of new features and improvements for our various websites and ensuring that our websites are up and running for our customers.

Cas is a wanna-be renovation queen, dog lover and mummy. Cas works within the Digital Marketing Team, her role focuses on advertising and ensuring the website and social media create an exceptional experience for visitors.

Cherie currently works as in the Member Contact Centre team in SA and you’d usually hear from her when you call, email or post on one of our social media pages. Her role is to help you with your everyday finances, so you can expect lots of tips from her on a range of topics, anything from how to avoid fees to how to protect yourself online.

Cheryl Taylor is the Communication Manager for Beyond Bank Australia. With more than 25 years experience in Communications, Public Relations and Marketing, she has worked within the manufacturing, telecommunications and finance industry. Her experience equips her with the necessary skills to manage both Public Relations and Communications matters for Beyond Bank.

Christopher Jackson is a Customer Relationship Consultant within the Lending department at Beyond Bank. His role is to ensure that our members are serviced with suitable loan products that meet their individual needs and align with their financial aspirations. With a bachelor’s degree in International Business and over 5 years financial industry experience, Chris is an avid investor who manages an extensive personal investment portfolio.

I am Craig Smith, Branch Manager at Marion in South Australia. I have worked for Beyond Bank for 8 years and have 37 years experience in banking. Every day I look forward to helping our customers and working with our great staff.

Dan is our National Property & Facilities Manager and has been with Beyond Bank for over 12 years. He is based in Canberra, however travels to all parts of the country as part of his role. With two young boys, Dan is busy managing his work and personal life. Undertaking small and large scale DIY projects and anything car related are his hobbies. You’ll see Dan out and about in the communities in which we operate, providing our staff, customers with modern, welcoming and professional working environments.

Greg joined Beyond bank in February 2015 as Branch Manager at Victor Harbor. His experience in banking spans in excess of 27 years across many disciplines including cards, retail banking, commercial banking and consumer lending. He enjoys helping customers to achieve their dreams.

Helena has over 20 years’ experience in financial services, managing large teams and business units. She has significant experience in transformational change, people leadership, implementing regulatory change, and addressing underperforming business units and ineffective practice, process and systems. Helena is a senior leader and management executive, who leads with passion and vision, inspiring others to be the best that they can be. In 2014, Helena made the transition from the corporate world into community services. She is an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. A travel gypsy at heart, Helena is a mother to two phenomenal and strong women, Alisa and Leila, and wife to a talented (and passionate) senior financial planner, Jasmin.

John has been a part of the Beyond Bank community division since September 2013, but a born and bred member of his local community from way too far back.
He has an understanding of, and pride and respect for, the people and the community organisations of the northern region in South Australia.
To be given the opportunity by Beyond Bank to work with the community sector and create more good together continues to be a wonderful journey.
Watch this space as John continues to share his story of great things that are happening in the northern region.

John Morrison is the newly appointed Community Development Manager for Beyond Bank Australia. He has 40 years of involvement with not-for-profits and service groups volunteering with the Scouts SA, he is a former crew member of the Adelaide Gang Show, Senior Active Apexian, former Kiwanis International Club Member and current Clare Lions Club Member. John specialises in lending and business development through a number of financial institutions throughout South Australia. John has an in-depth knowledge of South Australia living in Port Lincoln, Whyalla Clare, Port Augusta and Adelaide. He has a strong focus on building strong relationships, putting people first and finding the right banking options to suit individual needs. He is a father of 2, a grandfather of 2 and a devoted husband to the wonderful Suzanne who is also participating in the CFS Fire Trail.

Joseph is part of our Digital Customer Experience team. His role is all about ensuring the online experience for our members is intuitive and fulfilling. Everything he does in conjunction with an amazing team puts our members experience first in order to best provide the right delivery in the digital world.

Karen has over 30 years experience in the finance sector, having worked in 3 major financial institutions before commencing work at Beyond Bank in 1998. Karen has gained an extensive knowledge of the mutual banking industry and has worked in many different roles, including customer relationship management, lending, finance, compliance, human resources and training. In 2011 Karen undertook the role of training facilitator and was involved with the merger process before settling in to her current role as Community Development Manager within Beyond Bank’s Community Division.
Karen is passionate about working within the community and is committed to supporting local organisations and events in Wagga, Coolamon and Ganmain. She brings considerable expertise in the area of community engagement and firmly believes that Beyond Bank can offer value to our local community organisations through our range of community banking products.
Karen enjoys spending time with family and friends and is actively involved with many community events and fundraising activities in the local region.

Kate is a year 12 student completing her HSC in New South Wales. She plans to study Marketing at University after graduation and is already passionate about the industry after undertaking work experience with the Beyond Bank Marketing team. Kate loves to travel and is currently working at a car dealership part time.

Kimberly Greene is the news editor of Yourmortgage.com.au, which helps prospective homebuyers and first-time investors wade through anything and everything mortgage-related. Her articles have appeared in various publications and websites, and when she’s not writing, her nose is buried in a good book.

Kristen is a former journalist and public relations professional. Today she is a Director of Talkforce Media and Communications Strategists. Talkforce provides public relations support, strategic communications and crisis management advice, and training in media and presentation skills, business and policy writing, and team building.

Kylie has been part of the Beyond Bank Team for 22 years and is Community Development Manager for our Hunter Region. Kylie has worked across many roles with Beyond Bank and currently works to support and enhance relationships with the not-for-profit and community sector offering great banking solutions and a range of products & support services to help them achieve their goals.

I am currently the Branch Manager at Gawler and have worked for Beyond Bank for 11 years at several different locations. I enjoy spending my weekends with family and friends and my two huskys which are my pride and joy.

Lee May looks after the Sustainability Program at Beyond Bank. She is responsible for reducing the impact our operations have on the natural environment and finding innovative ways for our staff and members to enjoy a sustainable way of life.

Lynne has worked for Beyond Bank for more than 15 years. She is the Area Manager for the Northern Region in South Australia overseeing the Clare, Port Augusta, Roxby Downs, Whyalla and Port Lincoln branches.
Lynne is passionate about supporting members, ensuring they get excellent service from the resources Beyond Bank can provide.
She finds it rewarding mentoring and developing the teams within her region and watching their skills and careers develop.
Lynne volunteers for many local events such as the Australia Day celebrations, Anzac Day Ceremony, Christmas Pageants and any other local event that needs support. She is also a member and strong advocate for the RSPCA.
Lynne enjoys quality time with her family (including her menagerie of animals), fine food and travelling.

I have been working at Beyond Bank for 15 years. I have had a very diverse career and over many years worked as Branch Manager in the suburbs of Adelaide. Currently I am working as Community Development Manager, in the Adelaide metro Community Division. This position has given me the opportunity to work with the not for profit sector, which is both very rewarding and challenging. I also love to communicate with people from all walks of life to find out the best solution for new and existing customers and building on relationships. I have two adult children and two granddaughters. I love to keep fit and healthy and travel.

Marlaina has been part of the Beyond Bank Team for over 8 years and is part of our Community Development Team. She coordinates our Volunteer Program, helping connect not-for-profit organisations in need of volunteers, with our customers, staff and the general public.
Marlaina enjoys the positive influence of volunteering and actively volunteers in the community on a regular basis.

Mel is the National Member Engagement Manager at Beyond Bank. She has worked in banking for 10 years and her passion is providing exceptional customer experience to every customer and to have fun whilst doing it.

Michelle Brandell brings vast and diverse experience to her role as a Certified Financial Planner and Self-Managed Super Fund specialist at Beyond Bank Australia.
With a Degree in Commerce, Corporate Finance, International Business and a Graduate Diploma in Wealth Management, Michelle has solid credentials in the often complex world of wealth and financial planning.
This is supported by her CFP certification which is the highest level available to financial planners and a status that is recognised worldwide.
From 2009, when Michelle entered the financial planning sector, she has gained crucial experience across a range of key areas including insurance, super, allocated pension, retirement transition, savings and investments.
Michelle says “making the difficult, simple” forms the cornerstone of her approach and it is a basic desire to help people that has driven her to so many successful outcomes and many very satisfied clients.
In an ever-changing industry, with new rules, laws and other criteria, Michelle prides herself on keeping abreast of all changes to ensure that she can deliver information to her clients that is not only informative and up to date but also key to ensuring that a solid wealth management plan is created and managed with an eye to the future.

Michelle Coelho is the Western Australia State Manager for Beyond Bank Australia. After joining Beyond Bank Australia as a Member Service Officer in 1998, Michelle Coehlo has worked in a number of roles for the organisation including business development, lending, sales and customer service. With over 13 years’ experience in the finance industry, Michelle’s current role sees her focused on continuing to improve customer benefits, and delivering responsible and sustainable financial services to Beyond Bank’s customers throughout the state. In 2010 Michelle was awarded the Bridges Emerging Leader Award and in 2011 she went on to receive one of five highly sought after World Young Credit Union People Program (WYCUP) Scholarships at the World Credit Union Conference in Scotland. Both of these awards recognise individuals under the age of 35 who have made a significant contribution to the development of the credit union for which they work.

Natalie Menz is the Manager of Transactional Banking, largely responsible for relationship management with key organisational suppliers that assist our customers to transact locally and internationally, ensuring they have the ability to use a range of different channels to make payments and access their money. Natalie has 10 years’ experience in the customer owned banking sector with the last 5 years spent within Transactional Banking. In 2013, Natalie was crowned the Credit Union Christmas Pageant Queen and is a member of the COBA Emerging Leader Committee, assisting upcoming leaders in the industry to develop the skills and networks to assist their career growth.

Nick is General Manager, Corporate Services at Beyond Bank. Nick has a Masters in Business Administration and over 20 year’s experience in financial services. Nick oversees a range of corporate services areas including responsibility for Member Engagement, Products and Transactional Banking.

Patricia Babalis is a personal finance writer for RateCity.com.au. She enjoys writing on topics from property to budgeting and travel and contributes regularly to Yahoo7 Finance and Nine.com.au. Passionate about consumer awareness in the finance space, Patricia enjoys covering topics that help people make informed money decisions. RateCity.com.au is a financial comparison website that’s leading a push for Australians to use knowledge and comparison to find the products best suited to their needs.

Peter has 30 years’ experience in the banking and finance industry, holds a Masters of Business Administration (Advanced) from Adelaide University and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. At Beyond Bank Australia, Peter is responsible for leading our Community Development Division which includes planning and implementing strategies around the bank’s community development program.

Phil Burt holds a Diploma of Financial Services (Financial Planning) and is a member of both the Financial Planning Association of Australia and the Association of Financial Advisers. Phil is a Wealth Protection Specialist and has over 32 years’ experience in the financial services industry with a diverse background in banking, finance, insurance and financial planning.
Phil has a strong client focus showing empathy, ethics and passion providing clients with peace of mind in the protection of individuals, their families and their business and in the event of a need.
Phil provides proactive claims management. Consulting with Phil will give you an opportunity to develop a worthwhile partnership in protecting what is important for you.

Rachel is a working mother with 3 energetic little boys. As a member of our marketing team she has been with us for over 12 years and loves the balance of being a mum while doing a job she loves. Based in the ACT, you will often find her out at our community events or volunteering with our community partners.

Ray O’Brien has more than 20 years’ experience in the banking and finance sector joining Beyond Bank Australia in 2010. Ray is part of the executive team and his current role as General Manager Distribution includes responsibility for the delivery of products and services to our customers as well as overseeing the company’s operations across Australia. Prior to this, he was the Chief Executive of Companion Credit Union. Ray has extensive knowledge in business, corporate governance, financial services, treasury and accounting.

Rhys Daniel is a product analyst at Beyond Bank. In Rhys' role he analyses fees, charges and interest rates, as well as features and benefits mainly on car, personal and home loans as well as deposit accounts.

Robert Keogh is the Chief Executive Officer of Beyond Bank Australia. He has more than 35 years experience in business, financial services, auditing, accounting and finance. His experience equips him with a solid understanding of a wide range of issues concerning the financial services industry. He is a strong advocate for cooperative endeavour and the benefits strong customer-owned organisations can bring to communities.

Ross Wait has worked for the Port Adelaide Football Club's community development arm, Power Community Ltd since 2013. His role with the club is to develop engaging youth programs that encourage secondary school students to take responsibility for themselves, and others, by making positive decisions in relation to their health, lifestyle, finances and career path. Ross’s role facilitates the strong connection the community has with the Port Adelaide Football Club. His areas of expertise in sports development, community program management and youth mentoring enables him to contribute to the community in spades. He forms part of a state wide youth engagement steering committee; keeping abreast of youth and community issues, and in turn tailoring programs to suit.

Ruth McCarry joined Beyond Bank Australia in 2010 and has over 20 years experience working in finance within mutual bank sector. Ruth is Beyond Bank's Mobile Relationship Manager for the Port Stephens area and she can deliver tailored solutions to customers at a time and place that suits the customer's needs. Ruth has extensive lending experience and she is passionate about assisting customers with right advice for a solid financial future. Ruth is a big supporter of the local community and supports Sailability Port Stephens, an organisation that helps people sail, regardless of age or ability. She also enjoys socialising with friends, cooking and travelling.

Ryan Holman is a Product Manager at Beyond Bank, largely responsible for Research and Development in products such as Credit Cards. In 2014 Ryan was crowned the Credit Union Christmas Pageant King and also was awarded the Bridges COBA Emerging Leader Award.

Sally Mukii is a Community Coordinator at Beyond Bank, which means she works closely with our Community Partners and gets the opportunity to attend a lot of events and volunteer in the community. She is passionate about the community and actively encourages her friends and family to volunteer whenever they can. You might recognise Sally as the girl with the cheeky laugh who featured in the Beyond Bank 'Thank You' TV commercial.

Sarah is the founder and CEO of You Legal, a new category of law firm that aims to provide clients with easy and transparent access to legal talent in a more flexible, cost effective and efficient manner. Over the past decade she has worked as a trusted adviser and company secretary within ASX listed companies and now provides consultative legal services to clients.

I am the Branch Manager at Port Augusta, SA and am currently in my 9th year working for Beyond Bank. I work full time and I am a mother of 3 boys, so having a set budget really helps me with creating an enjoyable lifestyle for my busy family.

Scott Copley is the State Manager (SA) for Beyond Bank Australia. As a Port Augusta local, Scott opened his membership with Railroad Savings & Loans as a Junior Saver in 1983 and commenced working at the local branch of CPS Credit Union in 1994 as a Member Service Officer. He has undertaken a variety of roles for the organisation including lending, sales and customer service before progressing to his current role. With over 20 years of experience in the finance industry, Scott’s current role has him overseeing the distribution network in South Australia, working closely with his team to help Beyond Bank customers achieve their financial goals.

Shane Farley has had a diverse career, working specifically in the areas of community development, corporate social responsibility and sponsorship. He joined the team at Beyond Bank Australia in September 2013 and through his role is working closely with many community organisations to further develop the Beyond Bank Community Development Program.
Shane's current role allows him to interact on a daily basis with a large number of community organisations right across Australia, and has provided him with a deep understanding of the partnership model many community organisations are seeking with the corporate sector - particularly with their financial institution.
Shane is also a voluntary member of two not-for-profit Boards which includes his roles as Vice President of Recreation South Australia and as a member of the UniSA Sport Advisory Board. He is also an active volunteer with several community organisations.
Areas of Expertise: Corporate Social Responsibility, Community Development, Corporate Volunteering Programs, Sponsorship and Grants, Partnerships between Corporates and the NFP sector, and Community Sector Banking.

What started as an idea "wouldn't it be cool to order a coffee on your phone" between two mates has turned into a global tech company, with the flagship 365cups.com the order ahead Apps that can be white labelled and franchised.
Now Simone spends her time growing her business and building more 365 products while also giving back to her community. Through mentoring, speaking and most recently becoming a board Director with Country Hope.
In 2015 Simone will oversee a complete re-structure of 365cups as the business continues to grow releasing more products and delivering more custom tech projects.
Simone was recently awarded the inaugural Beyond Bank Entrepreneur Grant for her co-working space "Working Spaces HQ" which will open in Wagga Wagga July 1 2015.

Teagan has been the Community Coordinator in the Hunter at Beyond Bank for the past 6 years. She is passionate about making strong connections in the local community and working with not for profit organisations to create a stronger community.

Over the past 15 years working in the finance industry, I have been very fortunate to gain valuable skills and experience many roles, including managing relationships with various not for profit organisations within the community sector and deliver beneficial banking solutions for them. Working at Beyond Bank has provided a fantastic opportunity to achieve my work and personal goals, and share a fulfilling career with so many wonderful people.

Genevieve Fleming is the Chairperson of the Wagga Women's Health Centre New Building Project.T he Wagga Women’s Health Centre is a non government organisation which has been operating for more than 35 years providing counselling, support, referral, community education, community development and social action services to the women of Wagga Wagga and surrounding districts.

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